It didn’t have “the Flag of the United States of America” in it at the time. That was not added until 1923.

“Under God” was added during the Eisenhower administration in 1954 to counteract communism. Bellamy’s daughter objected to that change.

Making children recite memorized slogans in a public forum, under peer pressure, is a form of brainwashing and propaganda. Just like school prayer.

We should give our children the gift of critical thinking. When they know how to think for themselves, they can decide to what and who they should have allegiance for, based on merit, not on memorized slogans, especially if they don’t know the origins of those slogans.

Once they are adults, they should have been exposed to a number of political philosophies and different religions, and it should be an easy and obvious choice for them to decide which ones they want to subscribe to.

Thanks for being a voice of reason. If people would simply look at history and apply the lessons to today…critical thinking is so important. The pledge is wonderful. Saying it or not saying it isn’t a matter of loyalty or party…it’s a beautiful unifying thing when it is used to applaud the good of the country instead of used to define who the country is good for.